Conformational Changes of rBTI from Buckwheat upon Binding to Trypsin: Implications for the Role of the P8′ Residue in the Potato Inhibitor I Family

BWI-1 (buckwheat trypsin inhibitor), a member of the potato inhibitor I family, suppresses the growth of T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells and induces apoptosis in human solid tumor cell lines. Here, we report the crystal structure of rBTI (recombinant buckwheat trypsin inhibitor), a recombinant protein of BWI-1, at 1.84 Å resolution and the structure of rBTI in complex with bovine trypsin at 2.26 Å resolution. A conformational change of Trp53 at the P8′ position in rBTI was observed upon its binding to trypsin, which is not seen in other members of the potato inhibitor I family reported previously. The role of the P8′ residue in the potato inhibitor I family was examined by measuring the association and dissociation rates of four rBTI mutants with different substitutions at the P2 and P8′ positions when binding to trypsin. One of the mutants, P44T, was found to be a much stronger inhibitor than wild-type rBTI, with a picomolar (pM) dissociation constant. Our results could provide valuable insights for designing a new rBTI-based antitumor drug in the future.